


Closest to Heaven I'll Ever Be

by Elysia21



Series: Courage of the Daxamite // Heart of the Kryptonian [5]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M, KaraMel, Mon-El's parents, Prince of Daxam - Freeform, Secrets Revealed, Supergirl 2x15 post-canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-20
Packaged: 2018-09-30 09:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10160498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elysia21/pseuds/Elysia21
Summary: Kara and Mon-El are happy in their new, quiet, relationship; working side by side as superheroes until an unidentified alien spaceship threatens National City. Things only get more complicated when secrets of Mon-El's past are revealed and the intruding aliens are tied to it.





	1. Nothing is Best Left Unsaid

**Author's Note:**

> You’re the closest to Heaven that I’ll ever be  
> And I don’t wanna go home right now
> 
> This is 2x15 post canon mostly! However, in this story, their relationship is still a secret to their friends!

“Boom! You just got Schott!” Winn celebrated in victory after his dart landed right next to the bullseye, almost dead center of the board before he moved to take another sip of his beer. Mon-El went to take his turn and with a quick flick of the wrist, the dart plunged itself into the center, barely edging out Winn’s shot. Kara tried to hide her chuckle in her club soda when Winn’s face fell. “You’ve _got_ to be kidding me. I’m done playing with you.” He pouted but you could see the smirk on his face as Mon-El clapped him on the shoulder.

“Oh come on, man! You know it’s not fair to play me.” Mon-El chided.

Winn rolled his eyes and leaned back on the pool table, “Why, because you have superpowers?”

“Well I was going to say because I work here, but yeah that too.” He smirked.

They were hanging out at the alien bar in National City again as they usually did. Friday nights were usually spent at the bar often followed by a game night at Kara’s apartment. Winn had challenged Mon-El to their eighth game of darts of the night and he lost once again, finally seeming to give up on the prospect of ever winning. Alex and Maggie were playing a game of pool but stopped every so often to get more drinks and eventually giving up on the endeavor entirely when they couldn’t help but enjoy watching Winn get flustered. James had been off working late and the crew promised to leave him some pizza for when he met up with them for game night. It was a nice evening out, the bar’s door left open so that the warm breeze could float in, cleansing the air of the musky dive bar. Alex walked around the edge of the pool table to sit next to Winn, patting him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it Winn, watch Mon-El try to use a computer and you’ll feel much better about yourself.” She winked at Mon-El as Kara’s face turned a deep shade of pink.

“I told you that in confidence, Alex!” Kara yelled at her sister with a laugh coating her words.

Mon-El crossed him arms to face the blonde Kryptonian, feigning a hurt expression, “Traitor.”

Kara chuckled and placed her hands on his arms, “Oh come on, it was hilarious!” She regretted teasing him the moment his characteristic mischievous grin spread across his face.

“Oh?” He leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “And do you want to explain _what_ I was trying to find on the computer?”

Kara blushed deeper and put her hands up in surrender. Truth be told, they may have needed to buy a new kitchen table for her apartment due to certain activities that left it in pieces underneath them. But there was no way she was telling her friends that, especially when they weren’t even aware that the two of them were dating yet. Remembering that fact, she stepped away from him, leaning back on a nearby table. She saw a quick flash of hurt cross his expression before it faded away. Suddenly, the lights in the bar flickered off, a chorus of noise and protest rising from the patrons. It was only a few seconds before the lights came back on, the music resuming its cadence and the bar returning to normal. While all the other aliens and humans resumed their drinking and pool playing, the group of friends remained alert knowing that more likely than not, it was more than just a simple electrical surge. Mon-El, Kara, Alex and Winn all exchanged glances before making their way out of the bar. No words were needed to know where they were all headed; the DEO.

The sun was low in the sky, twilight glinting off of the city as they made their way there. Kara’s cape fluttered in the wind as she flew above the buildings of the city. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; street lights were flickering on, people milling about the streets and waving up at her as she zoomed past. Everything looked normal enough, but there was something off about the atmosphere, something didn’t _feel_ right, but Kara couldn’t put her finger on what. Mon-El and Kara reached the DEO much quicker, the rest of the group needing to drive there. As soon as Kara walked in, she saw J’onn approaching; so it must have been a city-wide blackout for him to notice something was off since he was not at the bar.

“Supergirl, did you see anything out of the ordinary on the way here?” He questioned, his commanding voice echoing throughout the nearly empty DEO.

Kara planted her hands on her hips, looking around at the few DEO agents that had arrived, “No. Nothing other than the quick power surge, but something is off. The atmosphere feels almost-“

“Charged.” Mon-El completed for her, his focus not entirely on the conversation.

She furrowed her brows at him before turning back to J’onn, “Yes, exactly. I don’t see anything though.” At that moment, Alex and Winn came through the doors.

“Perfect timing,” J’onn nodded to the two agents approaching, “Agent Schott, can you scan for abnormal ion energies throughout the city?”

“Ion it!” Winn smiled, but earning nothing but a disapproving glare from J’onn, he walked straight past to his station mumbling to himself, “Right, not a time for jokes. Noted.”

Mon-El looked back to the head of the DEO, “What do we do?”

“Well, there is nothing we can do just yet. Stick around here while Agent Schott runs a scan. When we know something else, be prepared to go out on mission.” And with that, the Martian walked off down the hall.

Kara looked over to see Alex leaning on Winn’s station, asking if he found anything when Mon-El’s voice sounded from behind her, “Well, this should be fun. You should really invest in Netflix at the DEO. Something to occupy our time while we wait.”

She looked back to him with a smirk, “Shouldn’t you be wearing your suit, Mon-El?”

“Right,” He scratched his chin and nodded at her pointedly before he started to make his way to the holding quarters where he had been staying. Winn had only recently made a superhero suit for Mon-El and he was still getting accustomed to wearing it everywhere they went. Kara couldn’t help but laugh softly as she thought about it; he was trying and doing quite well at becoming accustomed to earth and being a superhero, but she still found it endearing in moments like these. It was a reminder that he had been here on earth only a short 4 months and still reminded her of a stray puppy. Growing restless she began to stroll down the hallway, stopping short at a large door. The room where her mom’s hologram was. It was strange, she hadn’t felt the need to talk to that virtual person anymore. She had used it whenever she felt alone and, lately, and she hadn’t had the urge. After standing in the hall wondering if she should go in or not, she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind.

“What are you doing over here?” Mon-El’s voice was soft on her ear, sending shivers down her spine. His hand made lazy circles on her stomach as his breath stirred her hair.

“Mon-El,” She could hear the roughness in her voice as she spoke, “We can’t do this in the hallway where people can see.” She dropped her voice to a whisper as she turned in his arms, “People don’t know yet.”

Grabbing her arm, he swung Kara into a small alcove off the hallway and gently pushed her up against the wall, planting kisses on her collarbone and up her neck, “Well,” He murmured, his voice vibrating against her skin, “Do you want me to stop?” His hands were clasping her hips and her body relaxed under his touch, her head leaning back against the wall. She knew this wasn’t discrete and she should tell him to stop, but the words wouldn’t form and when she opened her mouth, only a soft moan escaped. He brought his face to meet hers and she grabbed it with her hands, pulling his lips to hers as she kissed him hungrily. He was in his suit now and she was running her hands over the smooth fabric on his chest. One of his hands clasped the back of her neck to gain more control of the kiss, angling her head so that he could catch her lower lip in his mouth.

“Supergirl!” Alex’s voice rang from the end of the hall and Kara’s wide eyes met Mon-El’s as they broke apart. She knew that Alex couldn’t see them, but coming out of this alcove at the same time would be suspicious. However if they didn’t leave, Alex finding them in the alcove like this would be even more incriminating. “Winn found something. A big something.” Kara took a deep breath and stepped out to see Alex was no longer at the end of the hall. Grabbing Mon-El’s hand and pulling him out of the alcove, the two of them making their way back to the main room.

“What did you find, Winn?” Supergirl asked, crossing her arms over her chest and averting the conversation away from whatever look was on Alex’s face.

“The ion charges are completely normal except right in this space above the city,” Winn explained, pointing to the map of National City on his computer, “The only explanation for that would be a cloaking device, something is there.”

Alex furrowed her brows as she looked out the window overlooking the city, “Question is, what is it?”

“Well it looks like we’ll just have to find out.” Supergirl said as she began to walk towards the balcony, preparing to leap into the air.

“Wait!” Winn said, jumping up from his seat, “We have no idea what that is. You’ll want some backup and I have something that can help with that.” He had a big smile plastered on his face as he scrambled over to the wall. After punching a few codes and a Bioscan of his hand, part of the metal wall slid back, revealing a small glass display case.

“What is that?” Kara asked, slowly walking over to where Winn was standing, Mon-El trailing close behind her.

“Well, I’ve been working on this for a while now. It has perhaps been the most complicated thing I’ve ever made and don’t ever want to think about it again because I’m not even sure if I could replicate it.” He picked up what looked like a gold band, an engraved star emblazoning to the front.

“What does it do?” Mon-El chimed in, folding his arms across his chest and cocking his head to the side as he examined the metal object, “A courtship ring?”

Winn shook his head violently, “Nooo, not that. It’s for you actually.” Mon-El furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the glint of gold in Winn’s hand.

“So you’re giving me a ring, and _not_ trying to court me? Because no offense, Winn, but-“

“No, Mon-El. Despite your charm, I am not trying to court you. This is actually to help to help you in your super-heroing-“ Winn began before Mon-El spoke again.

“Is that customary? Did Kara get one too when she became a superhero?" He ran his hand over the back of his neck sheepishly when Winn finally spit it out.

“It’s to help you fly!” He blurted out. All eyes focused on Winn then, Kara’s mouth falling open as she reexamined the ring again. Winn took a deep breath and began to explain, “Well from analyzing your genetic makeup when you were lying around doing nothing-“

“When I was in a coma?” Mon-El interjected casually, but Winn barely stopped his sentence.

“Yeah, that. Well comparing it to Kara’s, the general composition is similar since your species are so alike but the ACTN3 genes are in different loci but-“ After seeing the confusion in the eyes of Mon-El and Kara, he continued on, “Long story short, science. It will only work on someone with Daxamite physiology so I can’t make anyone fly, but wouldn’t _that_ be cool?”

“Wait, so wearing this ring will actually let me fly?” Mon-El’s eyes were brightening now, excitement clearly brewing beneath the surface. Winn nodded and placed the ring in his open palm.

“Now go try it out! Outside, of course.” Winn added quickly, laughing uneasily.

“Agent Schott are you suggesting he try flying for the first time on a mission? With no prior training?” J’onn raised his eyebrow sternly, looking between the two men in front of him.

“Um, yes?” Winn chanced.

“Try again.” J’onn challenged back.

With an uncomfortable laugh, Kara stepped in between them and interjected, “Okay, okay. I can just go up and check it out by myself!”

“No, we don’t know what it is. If I am able to go with you I’m going.” Mon-El moved to touch her face before thinking better of it and bringing his hand back down by his side. Instead he turned to J’onn, “Sir, with all due respect, I would like to go with her. If I screw up and fall she can go on without me, but if we don’t know what we’re up against, I want her to have backup.”

After a moment to think it over, he finally nodded, “Alright, Valor. But be careful. Both of you.” He moved over towards Winn’s computer, devising a plan of action to be prepared for whatever they were up against with the agents. Alex was already gearing up, headsets all in place. There were several DEO agents who were either working the late shift or had be summoned to come after the power surge.

“Are you ready?” Mon-El smiled at Kara, twisting the ring onto his finger as the two of them made their way to the open balcony to prepare to fly.

She let out a laugh, “The question is, are you?”

He turned to her with his characteristic sideways smirk that warmed her heart, “Born ready.”

They took off up into the sky off the balcony, cool night air brushing her face and hair as she shot upward. Mon-El was accustomed to jumping this high from his own super powered leaps, but once they got up high enough and he wasn’t falling back down to the earth his balance faltered. After straightening back up, his eyes lit up, the grey shining reflections of the stars. Kara was floating just in front of him, a genuine smile stretching wide across her face as she saw the pure joy in his face. She remembered her first time ever flying, the pure elation and adrenaline coursing through your veins. She almost forgot they were supposed to be checking out a mysterious spaceship cloaked just above National City, soft laughs escaping her when he would sway suspended in the air. He nodded at her and they took off higher and higher, Alex’s voice in her ear directing them where to go. She could feel the energy charge increasing in the atmosphere as they rose. However, before they could even try to figure out where it was exactly, the charge in the air cut off abruptly; revealing a massive black ship hovering just in front of them, green lights pulsing in lines down the side. Kara’s breath hitched as she looked at it, it was _much_ bigger than they had expected.

“ _Um, Kara?_ ” Winn’s voice came through her com, uneasiness lacing the words, “ _Please tell me you can see the ship._ ”

“Yes Winn, we can see it.” Her own voice was barely a whisper as the ship’s door opened, the ramp resting on the top of a skyscraper. Two hooded aliens stepped out, black covers entirely masking their faces. You could barely make out that there was a man and a woman, “Mon-El…” Kara whispered to him as they floated down to the roof. He was standing, confusion etched on his face which she was sure mirrored hers. The hooded figures said nothing, only coming to stop just ten feet in front of the two superheroes.

“Who are you?” Mon-El asked, his voice commanding and stern as he spoke over the wind.

The figures stayed silent but Kara was certain she could feel the woman smirking at them. Ice filled her veins; they may not know anything about these aliens or if they were hostile, but something about their eerie silence gave Kara the impression that they weren’t just here to assimilate into human life.

Kara spoke up now, irritation clear in her voice, “He asked you a question. _Who_ are you and _what_ are you doing here?”

Finally the woman spoke, moving her hands to graze her hood, “Ah Kryptonian, all high and mighty still even after your planet has been decimated?” If she hadn’t been worried before, she sure was now.

“How do you know about Krypton?” Kara asked, glancing at Mon-El for any indication of what was happening, but he was standing shell-shocked next to her.

“Well we ought to know a lot. Bloody war and sharing a star. Not to mention it was your godsforsaken planet’s fault that our’s was turned to ruin.” The woman’s hands were still bracing her hood, but she kept it to keep her face in the dark.

Kara’s mind was spinning, there was only one planet that the woman could be talking about. “Daxam.” She breathed, more to herself than anyone else. This time she looked directly at Mon-El, her face a mask of pure confusion, but his gaze was locked on the two figures in front of him.

“Yes,” The women chuckled, “The Royal family to be precise. All hail Daxam,” Both figures finally slid their hoods off, revealing the faces of two middle aged Daxamites. They both wore charcoal gray diadems set with shining stone and stood with an air of superiority. More unnerving than anything about them though, was that as soon as their faces were revealed, their gazes were locked on Mon-El. This time Kara could actually see the smirk on the woman’s face as she spoke, words that made Kara’s heart stop, “And all hail Mon-El, Prince of Daxam.”


	2. The Past Will Always Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After it is revealed that Mon-El is the Prince of Daxam, he shares his true background from his home on Daxam. The threat of his parents, the King and Queen of Daxam still lingers and he tries to make amends with Kara before it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I don’t want the world to see me,  
> ‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand  
> When everything’s made to be broken,  
> I just want you to know who I am
> 
> Get ready for the space puppy angst :(  
> But don't you worry, things will look up!

Kara could have sworn that her heart had stopped, she hadn’t let out a breath for entirely too long as she looked at Mon-El with such- with such anguish. It took her a while to wrap her head around the words that had just left the Queen of Daxam’s mouth. Every time she was Supergirl she felt powerful; as if nothing could break her because, physically, next to nothing could. But she had never felt _more_ breakable than she did now. He had lied to her. He _lied_ to her! The aching pain in her chest was replaced by a burning fire; anger. Anger at him for lying. Anger at his parent’s for showing up to Earth. Anger at _herself_ for not noticing.

“Kryptonian, you look a little miffed.” The woman said cooly, fully aware that she was under Kara’s skin. Under _Supergirl’s_ skin. She could hear Winn and Alex trying to talk to her through her com but she didn’t dare say anything.

Supergirl contained her boiling anger and channeled it into a stern expression, “That doesn’t answer the other half of my question. _Why_ are you here?”

The woman laughed and, for the first time since they had arrived, the man spoke up, “We have come to take back what is rightfully ours.” All the anger that had risen up inside of her froze, turning into fear. Fear of losing _exactly_ what they were talking about. Mon-El. While the woman was beautiful, her face was twisted with cruel excitement, a constant scowl on her face. The man, however, showed nearly no emotion; no amusement, no anger, only pure confidence in his actions.

“Nothing here is rightfully yours-“ Supergirl started but the woman cut her off, her previously amused expression twisting into seething anger in the blink of an eye.

“You are _wrong_. We will have the heir of Daxam returned to us.” Her eyes burned with rage as she stared down the Kryptonian. But as Kara opened her mouth to speak, Mon-El finally broke his silence.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Mon-El had told Kara about his parents, minus that fact that they were the King and Queen of Daxam, and had always said they were not good people. She had known that, but after thinking your family was dead for years she imagined there would be some sort of joy or relief in his face. But there was none of that, only a cold, detached stare.

The man stepped forward now, reaching out to grasp Mon-El by the fabric of his suit harshly. “You have spent all your life disobeying me, fool. You _will_ listen to me.” The King was holding Mon-El by his neck now, lifting him off his feet. Kara looked around desperately and saw an old railing on the side of the building right by her hand. Quickly, she yanked the lead pipe off and held it threateningly.

“Put him DOWN.” She yelled.

The man merely glanced at her before snapping his head back to him, “Allying yourself with _Kryptonians_ ,” He spit the word venomously, “You are a disappointment to your people.”

Kara’s heart broke for him, hearing a father speak to his son like that. No matter how close of a relationship parents had with their children, Kara had never imagined one speaking to their child like this. Like they were a pest to be exterminated. Closing in on him she screamed, her hear vision burning the edges of her eyes, “I said PUT HIM DOWN!” The man laughed and dropped Mon-El, he fell to his knees and gasped for air. Kara remembered when she first arrived to Earth, the new exposure to the yellow sun had made her strength extra powerful at first. She knew that they were incredibly strong right now, but that would wear off within a few days when their powers evened out. But until then, she couldn’t let them know that they were stronger. Stronger than possibly her. With a shout, Kara threw the pole forward at the King, but he and his Queen were fast. They shot to the side and stood together with matching sinister grins.

“Until next time, daughter of the House of El. And next time? We _will_ get what we came for. If he does not come with us, then we will take this world as our own. And we will show no mercy.” With a blur, they were gone. The bridge of the ship shut before Kara could even reach it. Kara watched as the ship flew up and seemed to disappear into the thin air; the cloaking reactivated.

Kara was stunned, Alex screaming into her ear asking what was going on. After a moment of adjustment, she raced to Mon-El’s side, checking to make sure he was okay.

“I’m- I’m alright.” He choked out as he stood, “Kara, listen-“

The anger that had filled her core before resurfaced, “Don’t. Just don’t Mon-El.” His grey eyes were filled with such pain that she had to look away.

“Kara, I didn’t want to lie to you-“ He began, but Kara cut him off once again.

“But you did anyways!” Her voice was raised now, advancing on Mon-El in a fit of rage, “Just like you always do. You don’t think about your actions, you don’t _think_. Of course you don’t, because you’re the prince of Daxam. Why would you ever think about anyone but _yourself_.” Her eyes were shining, and his face was blurred in her vision. She could hear Alex and Winn’s voices mumbling confusedly but she ignored them once again.

“Please, just let me explain.” He reached out to grab her hand but she yanked it back before he could touch her as if the touch of his skin might scorch her.

Kara ignored his words, turning away to blink the tears from her eyes, she walked to the edge of the roof, “We need to report back to the DEO. Find a way to stop these hostile aliens from hurting the citizens of National City.” She could hear him whisper her name but she had already shot into the night sky, flying directly for the DEO, welcoming the harsh wind to rid the tears pooling in her eyes.

She landed on the open balcony of the DEO headquarters, Mon-El landing clumsily behind her, fetching up against a wall to regain his balance. Immediately she stormed into the room, leaving him behind in the cool night. He didn’t even try to follow her this time.

“Supergirl!” Alex breathed a sigh of relief as she wrapped her sister in a hug. Kara welcomed the embrace, but the tears were rising in her throat again. She abruptly pulled back and cleared her throat. “What _happened_ out there!”

Kara took a deep breath before speaking, thanking Rao that her voice was steady, “The aliens are hostile. They are the King and Queen of Daxam. And _Mon-El_ is apparently the prince.” She spat out his name viciously. Alex, Winn, and J’onn turned to look at him as he approached, everyone rendered speechless.

“There, uh-“ His voice was low, lacking its normal confidence, “There are some things we should probably talk about.”

__________

“So you- you’re the prince of Daxam. Like an actual _prince_? That is still a real thing?” Winn’s eyes were wide, his hands waving wildly as he pestered Mon-El with questions. Mon-El was leaning back on the large center table, his arms crossed and his eyes trained on the floor. Kara was leaning on the desk across from him, refusing to make eye contact.

“Yes.” Mon-El’s voice was quiet as J’onn asked him to repeat his story, “Look I told you. I am the prince, I have always been the prince.” With a deep breath to calm himself, he dove into his story. Kara could feel his eyes trained on her but she refused to look, “The day that Daxam was destroyed, I was in my room of the Royal Palace. My guard had rushed in to get me to leave. He was my friend, my only friend really. Debris was falling everywhere, destroying the palace and the city around it. We rushed to the Main Hall where my parents were meeting with Kryptonian emissaries, but the hall was destroyed by meteors. My guard, Kharon, was the only one who believed in the same things that I did. I never agreed with my parents, and my father despised me for it.” He told the story devoid of any emotion, silence filling the room for a few moments before he continued on, “I wanted to get him out of there, and myself. I was a coward. So we went to find the Kryptonian pods from the emissaries who were dead. Being the prince, I didn’t know anything about the pods. I didn’t know that one of them was too destroyed internally to work. But he did. So when I boarded mine and he shut it quickly, I knew immediately that he never intended to leave with me. He saluted me and then I was gone. And so was he. And so was my planet,” His voice was breaking slightly, “And my people.”  

No one wanted to break the silence, everyone was watching him tell his story. Kara didn’t think she had ever seen him so vulnerable, but she didn’t show him any comfort. Her arms remained locked at her chest, her eyes locked on anything that wasn’t him.

He took a deep breath and spoke in a louder, more even voice now, “So that’s it. I- I  know I should have told you all the truth but I didn’t know anything about this planet and if I could trust you. I hope you understand.” He looked to J’onn, who simply nodded.

“Well we have bigger problems as of now. These aliens, the King and Queen of Daxam. You say they are hostile?” J’onn directed the question to Kara who simply nodded and mumbled an affirmation.

Mon-El pushed himself off the table and stood up straight now, “They’re threatening to take over this planet and they’ll start with National City purely out of spite. It’s not just the two of them either, the royal family always worked with Dominators. I’m sure that wherever my parents are, the Dominators are sure to follow. This is a dangerous situation, not to be underestimated.”

J’onn scratched his chin and considered his words, “Very well then we need an action plan. Agent Schott, is the ship still located in the same position?”

“Um, no sir. It’s off my radar now. I’ll have to rescan the city to find it, if it is still even in the city.” Winn sat in his chair and began typing away, “The systems are screwed up from the second electrical surge when the ship re-cloaked so it may take a couple hours to reboot and do a proper scan.”

“Very well, Supergirl and Valor, you two should rest. Come back when the sun rises, that should give you at least a few hours of rest. Agent Danvers, do you need rest or can I have you help analyzing the weapons we can use on Daxamites and Dominators?” J’onn directed.

“No, I’m okay. I’ll help you.” Alex nodded, standing up from her chair and following J’onn to the weapons room.

“I can help too, I don’t need rest-“ Kara began as she moved to follow the two, but J’onn stopped her with an outstretched hand.

“Supergirl, you are needed in the field later. In order to fight and fly, you need to be rested. You’re no good to anyone if you’re too exhausted to fight. It is 2:00 AM, please go home at least until morning, then report back.”

Kara wanted to protest, but Alex raised her eyebrows at her, daring her to challenge them because Kara knew that her sister was thinking the same thing as J’onn. With a dramatic sigh she agreed and turned on her heel to go home, not even sparing a look in Mon-El’s direction.

__________

Kara flew into her loft window, swapping her Supergirl suit for navy blue pajama shorts and a white t-shirt with superhuman speed. The lights in the city were illuminating the empty streets, a cool breeze blowing her curtains around the room. With a shiver, whether from the weather or not, she slammed the large windows shut and laid back on her bed. She was lying on her back, her arms folded over her eyes as the events of the day wore her down. As much as she fought against it, tears slowly built up in her eyes, rolling down the sides of her face until the soaked the sheets beneath her. She stayed still, hoping that the pang in her chest would go away but the cost of repressing it throughout the night took its toll on her, the ache building until it was a fervent pain. The silent tears built up in her throat until sobs were wracking her body. She sat up on her bed, feeling as if she was choking beneath her tears. Pushing the heels of her hands into her eyes, she tried to will the tears away to no avail. _He had lied. He lied to me about who he was._ She tried to think of anything other than him; her wonderful friends- Winn, James, Lena. Her sister, Alex, her mother and her family and her home. But each thought was tainted with the grey eyes that she had come to love. _Love._ She had come to _love_ him, when she didn’t even truly know who he was. The tears streamed down her face as she thought about it. She had never truly been in love, and she hadn’t ever admitted this to anyone, not even herself. But sitting here now, feeling the way the pain debilitated her, she thought back to the past few months. Every time she needed something, he was always there. On days when she felt as if everything was routine and tedious, he would challenge her. He challenged her every day, not to be someone else, but to be herself. She could always be herself around him, not Supergirl, but Kara. He made her smile even at her saddest moments, and he believed in her like no one else did. She had undeniably fallen in love with him.

Only maybe that wasn’t him. Maybe it was all an act. Her sobs had quieted to sniffles when she heard a tell-tale knock on her door. She didn’t even have to use her x-ray vision to know who it was. She thought about her options; she could let him in and talk to him or she could pretend she was sleeping and didn’t hear him knock. Her decision was taken away from her when he spoke.

“Kara, I know you’re awake, I can hear you sniffling.” His voice sounded tired. With a deep breath and after wiping her eyes, Kara grabbed a light gray cardigan to wrap around her as she went to open the door. He was standing with his hands in his jeans pockets, a gray long-sleeve shirt hugging his chest. She opened the door and leaned against it silently, pressing him to speak first. He didn’t dare move to enter her apartment, but rather stood in the doorframe, his grey eyes searching hers. “Can I please explain?”

She didn’t move from the door, opting for silence lest her voice reveal she had been crying if her red-rimmed eyes hadn't already given that away. With a sigh of defeat he continued to speak, “When I first got to Earth, I didn’t know who any of you were- if I could trust you. I knew you were from Krypton and our planets didn’t get along. I lied in order to protect myself. I was selfish.” His eyes were now shining just like hers, the grey turned silver, “And then I got closer to you. You always talked about how you hated the prince, how selfish he was. And you were right. But then you- you believed in me. No one had ever believed in me, not even my parents. And I was scared that if you knew I was actually the prince, you would lose that faith. And I would lose you.” He moved to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she didn’t move to avoid him. She didn’t react at all, and it seemed to be a punch in the chest to him. He looked down, a stray tear falling. “I wanted to tell you at Cadmus, but then Jeremiah showed up. I didn’t want to die without you knowing the truth. Just like I didn’t want to die without kissing you. Which maybe attributes to my selfishness, because I did kiss you. Just like you said, I don’t think before I act. And I am so sorry, so incredibly sorry for hurting you. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, and I ruined that.”

Kara finally broke her silence, her voice cracked from a long while of crying, notes of anger seeping through, “And then after that. Why didn’t you tell me then?”

“Because I was scared of this,” He moved a step closer, “I was in too deep and I knew you would be upset with me. I- I wanted you to still believe in me. I wanted that fresh start and I thought that maybe, _maybe_ , my past didn’t matter. I wanted to be the person _you_ saw when you looked at me.” His eyes were shining more now, the veil of tears coating his eyes.

“Everyone had a past. You can’t just run from it, you can’t hide from it,” She tried to keep herself from raising her voice but she couldn’t help it, she was angry and emotional, “Why was it so important to keep this from me? _WHY_ did you want so badly for this to not exist?!”

“Because I love you!” He shouted. Kara’s heart skipped a beat, her blue eyes widening and fresh tears welling up, he continued in a hushed tone, “Because I love you Kara, and you deserved better. You deserved better than the selfish Prince of Daxam and I wanted to be that. For you.”

Kara didn’t know what to say, she was frozen in the doorway. His face was only a few inches from her own and she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander to his lips. Those lips she had kissed so many times, that had filled her heart with such happiness. She wanted to kiss him, tell him that she loved him too. _I do, I do love you._ But the words didn’t leave her tongue. Instead, she deflected just as she always had. She had told him she hated being vulnerable, she could get hurt. And she was so hurt now. Her voice came out quiet even to her own ears, “Well that’s precisely the problem.”

She stepped back further away from him, her body hating the increasing distance from him. She couldn’t say anything else, the sobs were rising in her throat again. She moved to close the door, tears now silently falling down Mon-El’s face, “Kara, _please_.” His voice was a plea, and it broke her heart. So she shut the door, her superhuman hearing noting every ragged breath and racing heartbeat from the other side. With the next oncoming wave of sobs, she laid down on her bed, gripping her pillow. Only the tears didn’t come, which was worse. The tears were at least cathartic. This time, there was no release from the pain that gripped her. So instead, she curled up praying for sleep, the words ringing through her head like a broken record; _I love you. I love you. I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FUN FACT: Kharon, the name of Mon-El's entirely made up guard's name, is Greek for fierce brightness. Which I found pretty fitting since he was the only light in his life on Daxam. So that's me trying way too hard :)


	3. Learn to Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Mon-El's parents pose an increasing threat to National City, he tries to take matters into his own hands. As things take a turn for the worse, will they find a way to win this war? Or will they lose something greater than the battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand more pain...  
> Thank you for all the incredible comments! ♥
> 
> I wanted to try and tie in the 2x16 promo pictures so I changed this a little bit!

The light from the early morning sun bathed her sheets in the golden light of dawn. Kara’s eyes fluttered open, glad that she was able to get some sleep. Only it wasn’t the sun that woke her up, it was the harsh ringing of her phone. After registering the sound, she sat up straight and answered it.

“Alex! I’m up, I’m sorry! I’ll be over in two minutes.” She threw her legs over the side of the bed and wiped her face, the salt of dried tears staining her skin.

“ _Okay, we’ll be ready for you. Is Mon-El there with you?”_ Alex asked nonchalantly from across the line. Kara stopped moving for a second, stunned that she would ask that question.

She stumbled over her words, her voice raised a couple octaves, “What?! Wha- Why- no. I mean NO he is not, why would he be over here?” She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, internally hitting herself for being so obvious. She could hear Alex’s laugh from the other line.

 _“Oh_ please _, Kara. I’m your sister. I know you and I know you and Mon-El have been seeing each other. Plus, you know you’re not good at keeping secrets.”_ Her voice wasn’t patronizing at all, simply just stating a fact.

“Alex!” She scolded, knowing that more likely than not, Alex was speaking on the phone in the middle of the DEO. “Who else knows?”

Alex let out a loud laugh again, “ _Don’t worry, I’m still in the weapons room with J’onn. And of course he knows, he’s psychic. Although he may not be able to read your mind, he can sure read Mon-El’s.”_

Kara sighed in defeat as she quickly changed back into her Supergirl suit, “Of course he does. Well no, he’s not here. I don’t know where he is.” Her mind thought back to the night before, her heart clenching again at the thought.

“ _Are you okay, Kara?”_ Alex’s voice was more subdued now, concerned.

“Yeah. I- I just- I’ll be there soon.” With that, she ended the call and shot out of her loft windows towards the DEO. Preparing herself for the mission. Preparing herself for seeing Mon-El. And preparing for what changes this threat to National City would bring.

 “Supergirl, glad to see you rested and ready to go.” J’onn greeted her as she landed. “Winn has picked up coordinates on the ship, it is right above L-Corp-“

“Um, movement. Things are moving!” Winn called out into the room, the group of them gathering around his computer station to see what was happening.

“Agent Danvers, take a unit to L-Corp now. Make your way to the roof, it seems they’re opening the doors.” J’onn shouted, Alex nodded and took off to gear up without even a second thought. He turned to Kara next, “Supergirl. I want you and Valor to- Where is Valor?” He surveyed the room and looked pointedly at the Kryptonian in front of him.

“Is he not here?” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, the situation playing out in her head. Why would the Daxamites be exiting the ship if Supergirl and them weren’t even there?

Winn spoke up nervously, “He was here earlier. I was talking him through the plan and how the ion scan worked.”

 Unless someone was already there. “No.” Kara breathed.

“He said he was going to wait for you! I didn’t think he’d go alone!” He tried to call out to Kara but she was already sprinting and shooting into the sky, ignoring the DEO director’s orders to stand down. There was one thing on her mind. _Mon-El_.

__________

Mon-El had flown to the top of the building, landing unsteadily on the large pad that was void of any helicopter at the moment. He didn’t even need to say anything, after standing in silence for a few moments, the charge in the air cut off once again – the feeling like you were dropped from a large height – and then the ship was once again revealed. The door of the ship hissed open to reveal the King and Queen, his parents. Ice filled his veins at the sight, the smug look on his mother’s face and the unceasing indifference that was always present on his father’s.

“My son, you’ve come.” His mother started, opening her arms to welcome him in.

“Save it. You’ve never seen me as your _son_ , I’ve always been nothing more than a means to an end for you.” His voice was venomous as he spoke to them, but his mother didn’t even flinch at the harshness of his words. She simply lowered her arms and rolled her eyes at him as if he were nothing but an insubordinate child.

“Oh, Mon-El. Do not be dramatic. We have traveled galaxies to find you and here you are!” They were standing directly in front of him now, the early morning sun glinting off their diadems.

“I’m not coming with you. I am here to ask you to leave.” He stated simply, standing his ground. His mother and father exchanged looks before looking back to him.

His father stepped closer to him, the features of his face softening, “Please, at least join us for a meal.” At that, Mon-El furrowed his eyebrows. A meal was customary when someone was departing on Daxam, but he knew his parents and knew that they were not going to leave without a fight.

“Very well.” He said, motioning that he would follow. Although he was voluntarily going on their ship, he knew it was a trap. He wasn’t too much of a fool to think they would just leave because he asked, but if he got on their ship he could enact his own plan.

They made their way onto the ship one after another, a servant bowing to them as they reached the hallway. The door hissed shut behind him and Mon-El couldn’t help but flinch, uneasy that he was now stuck on this ship. The hallways were dark, with strips of light lining the floor and ceiling as the hall opened up into a large room. In the center of the room sat a massive black table, seats situated on each side. The table was quickly set by hooded servants who brought out plates of food and glasses of celestial wine. A servant pulled out Mon-El's chair and he moved to sit, folding his hands on the table in front of him.

“So, Mon-El,” His father began as he was seated at the head of the table, “Do you care to tell us _why_ you will not agree to voluntarily leave with us?” Mon-El fixed his grey eyes on his father, not ignoring his use of the word ‘voluntarily.’ They planned to take him regardless of his choices, he expected nothing different.

“I have found a home here. What are you offering me? With our planet no longer inhabitable, will you just remain on this ship floating through space?” He spoke with conviction, not letting any fear show through. Even though he was afraid, he had _always_ been afraid of them. He had scars to remind him of that fear every day.

“We are searching for a planet to inhabit. Now, before you try and protest, I will have you know that there are many planets that are not inhabited outside of this solar system that we have found. We can start anew there, for there are a few remaining Daxamites. At least 100." His father was speaking as if they were making a business deal, trying to sound as convincing as possible. His eyes darkened, “But without your voluntary attendance, we will destroy this _home_ you have found. We are not above that.”

Mon-El scoffed, he did not think highly enough of his parents to believe that they wouldn’t. They most certainly were not above that. With as much persuasiveness as he could muster, he leaned forward on the table, “Well if I am going to be spending time on this ship, I should at least get to explore it shouldn’t I?”

“There is no need.” His father shut him down quickly and efficiently. But like every other time in his life, Mon-El didn’t want to take no for an answer from him.

“If I am going to accompany you, I will be treated as part of this family. _Not_ a prisoner.” Mon-El challenged his father, the King visibly seething from the head of the table. But it was his mother that spoke up.

“Of course. You are family.” She inclined her head at him as she shot a glare at the man at the head of the table.

Mon-El stood from the table, finally able to try and fix this problem. To save the city to make up for all the times he had failed it before. Failed Kara before. As soon as he stood, he heard an explosion, the ship shaking violently as his parents stood abruptly from their table. For a split second he thought the ship was taking off, but by the confused expressions matched on the King and Queens faces, he knew it had to be one thing. _Shit._

The woman clad in red and blue stepped out from the hall, the door blown from the ship down the hall behind her. The sight of her had him in awe as it always did, the golden strands of her hair reflecting light like the yellow sun that gave them their powers.

“Kara-“ He whispered under his breath, too low for anyone to hear. She looked like an avenging angel as she advanced on them, only to be stopped by Mon-El. He held her steady in front of him, her eyes regarding him in disbelief.

“Mon-El, what are you doing?!” She forced out through clenched teeth, shaking her arm out of his grip.

“You need to leave, _please_.” He was hoping that she could read the words he wanted to say but couldn’t. _I have a plan. I can end this. But you can’t be here._ He only needed to get to the control and communication room.

“I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you!” She said with complete conviction before walking around him to look at his parents who were standing at their spots at the table.

“Ah, the Kryptonian. Is she here to join us, son?” His mother smiled deviously as she regarded them.

“What? I am most certainly not.” Kara was visibly flustered, confused by what was transpiring.

“Please,” His father spoke with no emotion, “Sit.”

Mon-El pleaded with her with his eyes, urging her to take a seat. Warily, she moved to the side of the table across from Mon-El and sat down. Her blue eyes surveyed him, trying to get a read on what was going on, but he had his hands folded under his chin, refusing to look up from the table.

“Together at last. All hail Mon-El,” His mother toasted, raising her glass high, “Prince of Daxam. Once again returned to us.”

Kara’s gaze snapped back to him in disbelief. She felt physically sick. He was _leaving_? He wouldn’t leave. Not with these people who hurt him and treated him more like property than family. His eyes met hers finally and she could see the truth in their stormy grey. He wasn’t leaving voluntarily. He had a plan. She had to look back at the glass of wine in front of her to hide the tug at the corner of her lips. She had no idea what his plan was, but she trusted him. Despite everything, in her heart she knew she could trust him and that was what he was asking her to do now. _Just trust me._

“Well, we have introduced ourselves to you. Are you going to give us the pleasure of making your acquaintance? Or shall we just continue to refer to you as the Kryptonian?” His mother was watching her every movement, analyzing the threat. There was no way she was going to tell them her real identity.

“Supergirl.” She stated simply, swirling the glistening red liquid in the chalice in front of her.

The king huffed in annoyance, “More lies. Kara Zor-El we know who you are. We were royalty on Daxam, you do not fool us. We knew your parents. Frequent emissaries were they not?”

Kara stiffened, they knew her. Knew her _family_. She simply swallowed and deflected their question, “Why even ask then?” The tension in the room was building, the threat becoming more and more apparent.

“Enough of these false pretenses. We know why you are here.” His mother stood up from her place now, reaching under the table before pulling a glowing green dagger from beneath it. Of course she had been feeling physically sick, it was Kryptonite. Her gaze darkened, her smile as sharp as the knife itself, “And you are not going to leave.”

“NO!” Immediately, Mon-El flipped the table towards the Queen, knocking her back to give him and Kara enough time to take off towards the open door down the hallway, only to be blocked by the King. He backhanded Kara, her body flying against the wall as his fist connected with Mon-El’s face. After stumbling back, Mon-El came back at him. He grabbed his arm and twisted it around, throwing Mon-El to the ground, but on the ground he kicked up, knocking the King to the floor. Mon-El was on top of him now, punching him into the ground. “Supergirl, GO!” He shouted, but she didn’t. Using her heat vision, she made debris fall, blocking the Queen’s path to reach Mon-El. She took off running, grabbing Mon-El as she went and pulling him with her. The two of them jumped out of the opening, rolling to land on the roof of L-Corp just as DEO agents and Alex flooded out of the stairwell, guns aimed at the opening of the ship. Mon-El moved over to Kara, who was on her knees now, “Kara, are you okay?” Not caring that other people were around, he lifted her face up to examine it and she nodded.

“Is she okay?” Alex’s voice was worried as she rushed to their side.

“Yeah, she is okay.” Mon-El answered, gently dropping her face and standing up, “They have Kryptonite, Alex.”

At the word, Alex paled, stiffening in alarm. At the sound of crashing debris coming from inside the ship, Alex stood at arms, approaching the ship alongside the two superheroes and the other DEO agents.

“Stand down! We have you trapped. You are to be handed over to the custody of the Department of Extraterrestrial Operations. If you do not surrender, we will take you by force.” Alex’s voice was commanding even in the open space of the roof, the wind having no effect of muffling the sound.

For a moment, nothing happened. No one came near the door, the ship did not make a move to start, and no one was surrendering. Until suddenly, blue blasts came shooting from the open door. “Get down!” Valor yelled, all the DEO agents seeking cover and shooting back. The agents were scattered now, Supergirl and Valor walking towards the opening of the ship once again. With a blur of movement, a figure shot past the two superheroes at superhuman speed. When Supergirl did turn around, everything else around her seemed to stop in place. Her hands shook by her sides and her heart was in her throat at the sight; the King of Daxam was standing in front of them now, the Kryptonite dagger at her sister’s throat.

Alex had plenty of experience fighting aliens, but never as strong as this and with a dagger to her throat – one wrong move and she could be dead. “Now it is time for YOU to stand down!” The King decreed, his bright grey eyes scanning the DEO agents around them.

“Let her go.” Kara shouted, trying to force confidence and conviction in her voice. She would not let him win. Not this time.

“I said STAND DOWN.” The agents slowly lowered their weapons, fear spreading throughout the rooftop like wildfire. Mon-El was watching Kara, concern flooding his features. For the first time since Kara had seen him, the King smiled. A cruel smile, the kind that filled you with terror rather than joy. “Good. Now, I have seen what Kryptonite can do to Kryptonians. I wonder what it can do to humans? Regardless, the sharpness of the knife will be more than enough to end her life.”

“No – please.” Supergirl was pleading now, taking a small step forward. At her approach, the knife kissed Alex’s neck, a trickle of blood dripping down her collarbone and a gasp escaping her mouth.

“Tsk tsk, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” His smile grew at the sight of Supergirl’s fear, _knowing_ that Alex was someone of importance to her.

“I’ll come with you.” Mon-El spoke up from beside Kara, moving towards his father. “Let her go, and I will come with you. Voluntarily.” Kara looked between him and her sister, fear filling her body like a relentless flood. She hated being afraid, she was trying to be strong. But she knew, that there was no winning situation here. She was going to lose one of the people she loved most in this world and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Mon-El pleaded again in a whisper, “Please let her go.”

The King regarded him thoughtfully, cocking his head to the side. “And you will obey me?”

“And I will obey you.”

“Mon-El, please. There has to be another way.” Kara placed a hand on his back, begging him.

Finally, he turned to look at her with such pain in his eyes that tears began to well in her own. His hand came up to gently caress her face, wiping away a tear that had escaped. “I love you, Kara Zor-El. And I will never forget that. Not when there are comets in the sky that will remind me every night of your eyes.” He was whispering low, probably too low for anyone but her to hear. The floodgates opened now, the pain sending tears in silent trickles down her face. When the warmth of his hand left her face, her entire body turned to ice, knowing she would never feel it again. The comfort of his hands, the warmth of his body, the sweetness of his lips. They would never be hers again.  

The King and Mon-El moved towards the ship. The King not releasing Alex until he was standing directly in front of the door. He harshly threw her on the ground and a weight lifted from Kara’s heart, only to be replaced by another as she met Mon-El’s eyes. They were shining in the sunlight, shimmering from unshed tears as he looked at Kara. Looked at her as if he was trying to memorize everything about her. Every curve of her face, every strand of her hair, the colors of her eyes. Because it was the last time he would ever get to look at her. And then within a moment, he was ripped away – him and the King disappearing into the ship as it began to whir and ascend. Kara wanted to fly to it, rescue Mon-El, but she couldn’t even move in time before Alex reached for her arm. Kara wrapped her sister in a tight hug, almost forgetting how strong she was. She didn’t want to hurt her, but she couldn’t help it. Her sister was the biggest constant in her life, there for her through everything, and she had almost lost her.

“Kara-“ Only when she heard Alex whisper her name did she notice the tears beginning to fall harder now, sobs rising in her throat.

“He- he’s- Alex he’s gone. He isn’t coming back.” She could barely get the words out before the tears choked her and the strength in her legs gave out. She was kneeling on the ground now, her older sister’s arms holding her as tightly as possible as if she could force all the broken pieces back together. It only got worse as her sister tried to comfort her, all the memories of the months before playing on the back of her eyelids like a movie.

“ _Agent Danvers?_ ” J’onn’s voice echoed solemnly in Alex’s headset, asking for what he already knew.

“The threat is eliminated. But Valor. He- He is gone, sir.” Alex was talking quietly and slowly. As if hoping that if she didn’t say the words it wouldn’t be true. For her sister’s sake. But despite what she did or didn’t say, it was true. Her sister had once again lost something. Kara had dealt with more loss than just about anyone. Her family, her planet. And now, after she had just healed from the hurt and learned to open up again, Mon-El was taken from her. And Alex didn’t know if her sister would ever heal completely. Not this time.


	4. Rage Against the Dying of the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mon-El leaves with the King and Queen of Daxam, but he will not go without a fight. When they go back on their word, he must put his Superhero training to work to save National City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly Mon-El centric, but for all of you who love Danvers sister moments as much as I do, this is a good chapter ending ♥
> 
> One more chapter to go!

The ship was slightly damaged, but nothing crucial was harmed. Mon-El’s mother was nowhere to be found, most likely off somewhere else in the massive ship. The King, however, was walking directly beside him. He clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder as they made their way through the halls. Mon-El looked out the thin strips of windows, seeing the ship take off above the city, the buildings getting smaller and smaller as they ascended. He knew he had to act now, before it was too late. However, in the back of his mind, he had already come to terms with the fact that no matter what he did, there was a good chance he wasn’t leaving this ship.

“Ah Mon-El, do not look so glum. You should be thrilled to rule with us. Daxam was a society of great people, governed by dreamers and adventurers.” _Lies._ That was all Mon-El could think as his father spoke. Kharon had been silently compliant whenever it came to the Royal family. He was one of the most trusted guards, but he was the one who taught Mon-El to question things. Not so blindly follow his parents’ orders, Mon-El had the power to make a change. The two of them had plans, big plans for their planet. All before the day Krypton was destroyed. But the King continued as they took another turn at a corner of the hall, doors illuminated by strips of light along each side. “You were meant to rule on Daxam. Now you will rule here.”

“What?” Mon-El broke out of his reverie and looked at his father apprehensively. “Here? You said we were going somewhere else.”

The King scoffed at him, “Mon-El, don’t be a fool. This planet is perfect. Why would we go elsewhere when everything we need is right here? And besides, you rejected that offer. Your only stipulation this time was that the girl went free. You ought to learn to be better at your negotiation.”

Mon-El cursed himself for once again even thinking for a moment that his parents would keep their word. There was always a way around the words his father said. He hated liars and claimed to never lie, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t equivocate in order to deceive. It was an art form to him. Mon-El had already made the decision of what he was going to do – come to terms with it even – but that didn’t make it any easier. With a deep breath he closed his eyes before he grabbed his father by the shoulders and drew his knee up into his gut, throwing him hard against the wall before taking off down the hall. He heard his father’s voice booming behind him, anger seething from the words. Suddenly, all the white strips of light began flashing red, an alarm resonating throughout the hallways. _Control and communication room._ He looked to see any indication of where it may be, never allowing himself to stop. Finally he came to a stop in front of a large set of nebular glass doors, essentially unbreakable. There was a hand scanner to the right of it, if all it needed was the bloodline then he might have access. The scanner beeped red as it rejected him and he cursed under his breath just as his father grabbed his shoulder and threw him back across the room, the wall cracking under the force of his body.

“How DARE YOU!” The King screamed, the flashing lights of the alarm making his skin glow a crimson color as he stalked towards his son. He knew what he had to do, reaching into his boot he pulled out the lead dagger he had taken from the DEO early that morning. The King simply laughed at him, “You really are dense, son. You have been on this planet longer than I, certainly long enough to know that nothing can break our skin. We are GODS here, Mon-El. Why are you so against ruling with us, we can make the humans bow to us. We will be more than royalty here, we will be divine.”

“You’re right, I have been here longer than you.” Mon-El stood up now, throwing the dagger with immense force and watching it as it impaled itself deep in his father’s stomach, “Long enough to know that on this planet lead is toxic to us.” His father stumbled back, leaning on the glass door as blood coated it. “We are no gods, you have never shown mercy. You have never looked out for anyone other than you and yours. I am not the same man I was on Daxam, I will not stand by and watch you destroy people. Not this time.”

Hate filled his father’s eyes and he couldn’t help the pang of guilt that struck him at the sight. But then the corner of his father’s lips curved up, “This is because of your Kryptonian _bitch._ She corrupted you with her false ideals,” He laughed humorlessly and coughed, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth, “Besides, it is too late for you to be the hero now. I have already activated the signal. The Dominators are coming, and we both know this planet cannot withstand their force. Whether I am here to rule this planet or not, I _will_ see to it that it is destroyed.”

Mon-El’s heart began to race, it was him against the clock now. Glancing through the glass doors, he could see the yellow core reactor glowing, as long as it was on, the Dominators could locate this ship and find Earth. He grabbed his father’s arm now, pulling him against his will and placing his bloody hand on the scanner. It flashed green as the doors slid open. His father was laughing, a harsh sound that cut through his ears. Laughing at the attempt his son was making to do the right thing; to be a hero. Sprinting forward he reached the yellow beacon. He tried to find a way to turn it off, but at the sound of his father’s increasing laughter he realized there was no way to turn it off. He backed up, running his hands through his hair. He couldn’t let down National City like this, let down Kara like this. After everything she had taught him, he couldn’t give up now.

_“What is our number one rule as heroes?” She had said, standing in the training room of the DEO with her red cape swirling around her feet._

_“Protect the people.” He responded confidently._

_“Yes; are we clear on the whole protect citizens above all else thing?” Her blue eyes bored into him, implanting the important information in his head._

The memories flooded him. He was so sure of his answer, because she was so sure of it. She was so selfless and it inspired him to be the same. _Protect citizens above all else_. As a hero, whether Kara was around or not, it was his job. And he was going to do it now, regardless of the consequences.

“Mon-El?” His mother was standing right outside the doors, his father’s body lying limp on the floor at her feet. She didn’t even bother to look twice. She began to walk towards him, only to stop on the other side of the nebular glass doors as they locked shut in front of her, her eyes regarding him with disdain, “What do you think you are doing?”

The control panel showed that the ship’s destination was right outside of Earth’s atmosphere, and he knew the Dominators would meet there if the ship remained in one place long enough. Preparing for war. Mon-El didn’t know much about ships, knew no destination codes other than the one to which Kharon had sent him, but that was the only one he needed. The Phantom Zone. His mother looked at him with the grey eyes that matched his own, for once, showing emotion as she watched her son. He input the code and stepped towards the glowing signal.

“Mon-El, No-“ His mother’s voice shouted as he took a ray gun from the wall. He could overheat the reactor, stop the signal to the Dominators, but he had no idea what it would do to this wing of the ship. He could feel the ship reaching atmosphere, the metal beginning to shudder and shake as it began its escape from Earth’s oppressive gravitational pull. It was time. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. In an instant, bright light filled his eyes, knocking him backwards with such force he thought he would shatter. Only there was nothing behind him to absorb his impact, he continued flying backwards into the open air. And his mother – standing behind those doors and watching him as the rest of the ship was being pulled out into the black void of space. The ship was above him now, the control room wing flaming and crumbling. Mon-El was sure he would be sucked out into space as well, only he wasn’t – he was falling. Falling fast, the wind whipped around him, like ice cutting his skin as he tumbled. He was still wearing the ring Winn had made him, but he hadn’t had practice. Sure he could take off from a standing position, but he couldn’t focus on flight as he was falling so quickly that he couldn’t even catch air in his lungs. He continued to try, to no avail, the rapid descent sending him spinning out of consciousness.

__________

 She had forced the tears to stop. She was Supergirl and she did _not_ give up that easily. She and Alex were back at the DEO, working out a plan with J’onn to get Valor back. They could deal with the threat later, but they didn’t leave any of their agents behind. As Kara and Winn were working at a computer to devise a plan of action, an explosion far out in the sky caught their attention.

“No-“ Winn shouted inexplicably from his station as he furiously clicked at buttons, analyzing the situation.

“Winn, please tell me that was not the ship.” Kara asked in a subdued panic, knowing what the answer was.

Winn was breathing heavy, working fast, “It- it was, but it’s still on track out of the atmosphere. It’s fully functional. It's route has been shifted, it's going to the - The Phantom zone?”

Kara shot to the window at superhuman speed to see the ship high in the sky, flaming bits falling from the sky. Flaming bits and- and a person? She focused her enhanced vision as the dark figure tumbled, and that’s when she saw the cape. Without a second thought, she shot forward out of the DEO, willing her body as fast as it could possibly go. She pushed herself to the limit, hoping, _praying_ , that it would be fast enough. She thought of those grey eyes. The ones that believed in her as much as she believed in them. The ones that looked at her as if she was the sun itself, radiant and joyful. It was enough to give her another burst of energy and she reached him just before his body hit the ground. She caught him and the force of him and her immense speed sent her careening into the earth, her Kryptonian body aching as it tore through the grass just on the outskirts of National City.

“ _KARA! Are you okay?”_ Alex’s voice was yelling into her com, begging for her sister to be okay.

It took a moment for Kara to catch her breath, flipping onto her back and looking up at the sky, “Yeah- yeah I’m fine. But my body doesn’t feel quite so indestructible at the moment.” She could hear her sister’s relieved chuckle from across the line. After her vision centered again, the haze of disorientation vanishing, she remembered where she was. Flipping over onto her hands and knees sent waves of burning pain through her body – pain firing from every nerve ending. She was sure if she wasn’t fundamentally invincible, her body would have been destroyed. She saw Mon-El’s body lying not too far from her own and she scrambled to it as fast as possible. His eyes were closed, dirt smeared in his hair and all over his face, but his chest was rising and falling slowly. Relief flooded through her body so quickly that tears began to silently fall, “Mon-El? Mon-El, please. Please wake up.”

He heard the voice, the voice he always listened for, that was constantly in his head. _Wake up, come back_. She was saying. The darkness on the back of his eyelids slowly illuminated, causing his eyes to burn. He squeezed them shut tightly to block out the brightness and pain seized his entire body so intensely that a gasp escaped his lips. He heard a sigh of relief from above him and he opened his eyes to the sun. No, not the sun, _Kara_. She was kneeling above him, her golden hair shining bright in the sunlight as it cascaded over her shoulders and grazed his chest. He felt drops of cool water splash against his burning skin and he reveled in the relief of it until he realized they were her tears.

“Kara-“ His voice sounded like gravel in his throat as he breathed her name, but all the pain in his body was nothing compared to the relief he had seeing her again. She must have felt the same, because as soon as he spoke, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head into his chest, shaky breaths wracking her body. He brought his arms up to embrace her to him, the comfort dulling the sharp pain. “I never thought I’d see you again.” He confessed.

“Well,” She laughed breathily through tears, “It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve ever been wrong.” And at that, he couldn’t help but laugh with her.

__________

The two of them returned to the DEO, completely covered in dirt and grass, hair mussed and windblown. Alex sprinted forward and wrapped her arms around her sister harshly, eliciting a grunt from Kara.

“Easy, I may need some yellow sun lamps.” Kara chuckled as she embraced her sister back lovingly, burying her face in her shoulder. Alex smiled as they began to walk down the hallway towards the Medical Bay, leaving Mon-El in the main room with J’onn. Just before they walked out of sight, she saw J’onn wrap Mon-El in a hug, patting him gently on the back.

Alex sat next to Kara in the medical bay, yellow sun lamps radiating around her and easing every sore muscle in her body like magic, “So-“ Alex began, “Are you ever going to tell me what is going on with you and Mon-El?” Kara laughed, expecting nothing less from her sister. “Oh come on! I tell you everything.” She pouted with a smile as she put her hand on Kara’s leg.

“Fine – Alex Danvers, you win.” Kara was sitting up on the metal table, facing her sister sheepishly. She fiddled with her hands as she spoke, “Ever since the night he confessed his feelings I had been pushing him away, and then when you and I talked on my Earth birthday I realized I was only pushing him away because I was scared. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about him, it was that I cared about him _too much_ and that – that terrified me.” Alex was listening silently, a soft smile remaining on her face, “And then I thought he was dating Eve and I thought I was too late. As soon as I realized I wasn’t, I told him how I felt. Then on Valentine’s Day, he – he uh-“ Kara was turning bright red now as images of his bare arms holding her close as he placed kisses down her body on her bed flashed in her mind.

“Kara Danvers!” Alex’s eyes brightened as she gaped at her sister, “You and Mon-El slept together?!”

Kara laughed and smacked her sister gently, or at least it was intended to be gentle, “Alex!” Kara was laughing now as the woman in front of her gave her a thumbs up with a smug smirk, “And then I asked if we could keep it a secret. Just a little while before everyone knew. I know how you all used to feel about him, James doesn’t like him. Mon-El and Winn are friends but I didn’t know how he would react. J’onn is like my father so there is _no way_ I was going to tell him. I just wanted to be happy for a little with him, before everyone stated their opinions.”

“Well James is just jealous, J’onn already knew being a psychic and all, and you _know_ I only want to see you happy. I’ve never seen you as happy as you are with him. Even before you two were together; whenever he was in the medical bay, you were by his side, you constantly found excuses to train with him. Even when he was locked up in isolation chambers because of the Medusa virus, you were always with him, playing games or just talking. I’ve never seen you connect with someone like you do with him, and the way he looks at you when you’re not looking you would think you are his heart.”

Kara felt her own heart swell with love at her sister’s words, only to fall when she remembered what had just happened revolving his lie. “But then, then I found out he had lied. Alex, he lied to all of us, about his identity. Who he was- ”

“Exactly, who he _was_. I’m not condoning his lying because I personally have some strong words for him about that, but maybe that’s not who he is anymore. Maybe he didn’t want to tell you because he didn't want to associate his selfish past with the future he was trying to create as a hero. A future with you.” Alex had grown more serious, looking into Kara’s blue eyes solemnly.

“I know. He told me he loved me. And I told him that it was a problem. I didn’t mean it, I was just hurt. And now I don’t even know if we’re together and I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Are you happy?” Alex asked directly, no diversion.

Kara didn’t even have to think about the answer, “No. No I’m not, I’m _miserable,_ Alex.”

Alex wrapped her sister’s hands in her own, “Then you know what you need to do.”

 


	5. Finally at Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the threat to Nationals City is gone, Kara must deal with the threat to her heart and decide what is worth it in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter here! I know it's short but it's short and sweet! I wanted to get it up before the new episode!   
> Kinda inappropriate buuut I wouldn't say mature ;) 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy ❤

Kara turned the corner of her apartment building to see Mon-El leaning against her door once again, arms crossed against his chest.

“Hey.” She smiled gently as he pushed himself off the door and put his hands in his pockets while she unlocked the door.

“Hey, you.” He followed her inside cautiously, making sure he wasn’t too close. He had showered and changed, his worn suit replaced with a gray shirt and navy jacket. She dropped her keys and glasses on the kitchen island, turning around to lean back on it and watch the man standing across from her. His expression was guarded as they both waited for someone to speak. As always, it was Mon-El that broke the silence, “I just wanted to say thank you. For trusting me.” He was silent for a little while longer, rolling back on his heels as he struggled to maintain eye contact with her, “And I’m sorry. I know you said you don’t want to hear any excuses from me and I respect that. I just, I had to apologize one more time.” This time he did meet her eyes, taking a step closer, “And I meant everything I said.”

Her gaze drifted to his lips as they always did, and she could see that he noticed. But instead of moving closer, he dropped his gaze and took a step back, preparing to leave. “Mon-El- “ She whispered, urging him to stay. He stopped moving and watched her as she pushed off the kitchen island and advanced towards him. “You lied to me. And it hurt-“ He opened his mouth to say something but she continued on anyways, “But that doesn’t change how I feel about you. That doesn’t change who you are in my eyes. I believe in you and I trust you. You even proved today that you are not selfish, you were a _hero_. You saved my sister, Mon-El. You sacrificed yourself to save her and I can never thank you enough for that. I will never lose my faith in you, because I see who you are. And I love you for it.” His eyes were bright as her words registered, she could hear his heart beating faster but he said nothing so she repeated herself more quietly, reaching out to touch him, “I love you, Mon-El.”

Immediately his hands came up to cup her face and pull her lips against his, he realized quickly that he shouldn’t have done it. Kara was still hurt and she probably didn’t want to kiss him right now. He wanted more than anything for this relationship to work out. For _them_ to work out, and for that to happen he needed to be patient. He tried to pull back but his doubts were quickly put to rest when her own hands reached up to grip the front of his shirt and pull him flush against her.

“Kara-“ He tried to murmur as her lips parted his. He didn’t have a chance to protest further as his words dissolved in her mouth. Heat flooded his body and any attempt he was making to stop was as futile as trying to swim against a rip tide. Finally his resolve shattered and his hands gripped her hips as a moan of surrender escaped his lips. It was her undoing, her arms snaking around his neck and holding him as tight as she could. She was holding back no strength, her nails digging into the nape of his neck. His hands slid down her legs to grip the underside, pulling them up to wrap around his hips. Her ankles were crossed behind his back, her body moving against him in a way that caused desire to coil deep inside his gut. With super speed he moved to lay her on the bed, knocking over a lamp on the way. “Shit – sorry!” He quickly apologized, feeling her giggle and smile against his mouth, teeth clashing in a way that brought a wider smile to his face.

“You broke one of my lamps, how will I ever replace that?” She joked, lying back on the edge of the bed with her hair splayed like golden rays on the comforter. He was leaning over her, placing kisses on her collarbone as he chuckled against her skin.

“As if you don’t have enough of those – “ Her delicate fingers ran through his hair, pulling his face back to hers and crashing her lips against his.

He nipped at her lower lip, holding the soft skin between his teeth as she whispered, voice heavy, “What am I going to do with you, Mon-El?”

His bright grey eyes burned into her as he pulled away from their kiss and brushed back the tawny curls of her hair, a serious expression dawning on his features, “Stay with me. No matter what?”

The previously passionate moment softened as he looked at her. He looked at her as if his love for her was the one defining truth of the universe. Emotion choked her and she reached up to cup his face, his body curling into her touch, “No matter what, Mon-El.”

__________

The following morning was everything she could have wanted. The windows were cracked and she could hear the birds chirping outside as dawn broke out on the horizon. Mon-El was sleeping soundly beside her, his brown hair adorably mussed and falling in his eyes. Her body was thrumming with energy and she itched to move, go fly around the city or clean or do _something_. She snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his bare chest and drawing lazy circles on his sun-kissed skin. After a few minutes of him still fast asleep, she decided to get up and make breakfast. She didn’t know how he could sleep in so late, although it wasn’t even ten in the morning, it was late for her. She pulled on her blue shorts and threw on an oversized white long-sleeved shirt that may or may not have been Mon-El’s. She was grabbing ingredients for pancakes when she heard a familiar heartbeat and footsteps in the hallway.

“Karaaa-?” Her sister’s sing-songy voice echoing from outside her apartment. Kara set the supplies on the counter and went to open the door, Alex standing on the other side with two cups of coffee in her hands.

“Alex!” Kara’s voice was higher pitched than usual, anxious as her older sister pushed past her and set the coffee on the counter. “What are you doing here?”

Alex turned to face her, eyebrow raised, “Well, you had a tough day yesterday. I figured you could use a caffeine pick-me-up! Besides, I want to hear about how the talk with-“ She cut off as a sleep-addled figure appeared from the other side of the curtain in her studio apartment. 

“Hey Kara, is- “ He was pulling jeans on over his boxers as he wandered in the room, obviously still half asleep. Looking up, he saw Alex leaning against the kitchen island across from a red-faced Kara. “Ah- my bad. Hey, Alex!”  He clapped his hands in front of him, rocking back on his heels and averting his gaze anywhere but at the DEO agent smirking at him from the living room.

Alex pursed her lips as she looked at her sister, who was now the color of her Supergirl cape. “Well, I have no further questions then.” She gave her sister a final superior glance before grabbing her own coffee cup and heading out.

“Sister dinner tonight?” Kara called, her voice still unsteady from embarrassment. Alex smiled and gave a nod and thumbs up in affirmation before closing the door behind her. When the door latched shut, Kara buried her hands in her face with a groan of laughter. Mon-El made his way over to her, prying her hands away from her face and holding her against his body.

“I didn’t know your sister was coming over this morning.” He smirked, planting a kiss on her forehead.

“Neither did I.” She was still blushing, but there was no real sting of the embarrassment, it was her sister after all. So instead she just broke out into laughter, Mon-El soon joining in. He spun her around and began walking with her in his arms in front of him, his voice still heavy with sleep in her ear, “So- What’s for breakfast?”

They made their way to the kitchen and she began making the pancakes, showing him how to make them himself – although she wouldn’t trust him to operate a stove alone for a while yet. Flour was powdering the countertops as they spent the morning in each other’s company and Kara realized for the first time since her life on Krypton how it felt to be normal. To wake up next to the man you love, playfully punch someone and not break their bones, to be challenged in a way that no one else would dare, and feel as though you were doing what you were meant to do. You were where you were meant to be. And she found that here, in Mon-El’s arms. Her perfect partner, who knew everything about her and was going to stay with her. _No matter what_. And she knew that no matter what happened. She would always have her family and Mon-El. And that was all she needed in this world. That was what made this world her home.


End file.
